Black and Blue
by StarStrewn
Summary: Pam struggles to get out of an abusive relationship. Rated T for mild violence.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Office. It pains me to write that.**

**Okay, so I know this has been done before. And I'm not copying (I swear it! Swear it, I say!) I just think this is an interesting idea and I wanted to see if I could write it. Anyway, enjoy!**

Pam laughed, her cell phone between her shoulder and tilted head, as she set out dinner for her and Roy.

"Jim! I swear it happened!" she laughed again. "I _swear_!" The blue tablecloth….the good china…roast beef, potatoes, peas, carrots….a bunch of roses in the middle of the table. _Was this okay?_ Pam wondered. She had never broken up with anyone before. Was she supposed to do it over a special dinner? Wasn't this more of a proposal set up? _Well, how would I know?_ Pam scolded herself. She'd been proposed to at home in front of a football game on TV. She and Roy had been together for 10 years. They were engaged for Gods' sake!

"What am I doing here?" Pam muttered to herself. How had she gone so far into this? But the voice on the other end of the phone kept her going. She _had_ to break up with Roy. She was in love with Jim Halpert. Putting down the last plate and adjusting so that she held the phone in her hand, Pam peered around the door frame. There was her (soon to be ex) fiancé. Sprawled on the couch watching a football game.

"Come on! Come _ON_! What the hell was that!" Roy yelled, sitting up straight and pointing to the TV.

Pam clutched the phone harder until her knuckles turned white. She was going to break up with him. She…she had to. Her heart was pounding and her hands were clammy. Jim didn't know it, but it was his voice that was helping Pam stay strong.

"Um, hold on for one sec Jim." Pam said. "Roy! Dinner will be ready in 2 minutes." Oh gosh. Had he noticed her shaking voice? The way she had stuttered on the word dinner?

"Coming!" Roy bellowed. He was there before she had hung up the phone.

"Roy's voice raised on every word until he was shouting. Pam didn't remind him that she had eaten at the table alone for the past 4 nights while he'd eaten on the couch.

"Jim, I'm sorry, I have to go." She felt a little panicked as he calmly said goodbye, he'd call her later. Don't hang up! I need you! She wanted to scream.

"HALPERT?" Roy roared.

"Roy…." Pam whispered as he loomed above her. She had never seen him get so angry so fast.

"PAM! Your speaking to this guy EVERY SECOND OF THE DAY! Can you stop for 5 SECONDS? God, Pam you're engaged to ME! Why can't you just stop BEING SUCH A _SLUT?"_ Every word struck Pam like a slap. Roy loomed over her, his face turning red, his eyes very icy.

"Roy…p-please!" Pam tried to choke out the words.

_SLAP! _It happened so fast Pam barely knew what was happening. On second she had been standing, seeing Roy's hand fly up and now she was on the floor, her cheek on fire. Her cell phone was flung out of her hand, across the room. She raised her hand to her stinging cheek and stood up on trembling legs. Roy breathed out heavily.

"Roy….this…this is," Pam struggled. She was incredibly scared. More scared then she'd ever been in her entire life. Suddenly, she found her voice._ What was she doing here? Why had she put up with this for 10 years? _

"Roy." She said, softly but firmly. "It's over. This…this entire thing! Its over! For good! The wedding…it's off! It's _over!_ I've put up with you for 10 years! You never treated me right! You act like it's a chore to get married to me! You say you love me but then why…why do you always stay out drinking? Why don't you come home until 2am? You have kept me….from my art. My dreams. My life. Well no more Roy! Its over! Its over! I'm…I'm done with you! I'm _free_ of you!_" _She half laughed in wonder of herself. This was it! She was free!

_SMACK! _Roy was gaping at her, breathing heavily, tears in his angry eyes. Pam staggered and fell from the blow of his punch. She gasped sharply as her head hit the kitchen bench hard. She fell into a corner and stared at Roy. He raised his hand to hit her again but seemed to think better of it and instead swung his arm aside, sweeping the plates and cutlery from the table in one clean swing. Pam couldn't stop the scream that rose in her throat as peas bounced on the floor and the knives and forks scattered in every direction. The once clean tablecloth was stained with water from the vase and bits of potatoes and hung crazily off the side of the table. A fork scraped Pam's leg. Out of all the chaos, the fork was what she felt most, sharp against her leg. She cried out in pain, in fear. And suddenly thought of Jim. She wanted him here….so badly.

"Are you kidding me Pam? _Are you KIDDING ME?" _Roy was pacing, fists clenched. He kicked at the cabinets, the table, smashed glasses, sending shards of glass everywhere. Then he backtracked, pleading and begging Pam to stay with him. She shakily, but determinedly held her foot down. And then he'd left, slamming the door behind him, leaving Pam crumpled on the floor crying quietly. In all the wild frenzy of anger and chaos neither Pam nor Roy had noticed Pam's cell phone on the kitchen floor. Pam still hadn't hung up. And Jim Halpert had just heard everything that had just gone on.

**Okay, so not so sure how that went. I'm going to add more chapters, but first I need (do you see where this is going?) REVIEWS! Please review! With every review a Twilight fan is converted to Harry Potter! **

**Seriously, thanks for reading it means a lot to me. **


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Office. It pains me to write that.**

**Thanks so much for reviewing guys! It encouraged me to make this chapter. Mkay, so I wasn't exactly sure how to handle this chapter, but I've done what I can. Please let me know what you think, enjoy!**

Jim had been sitting on the couch when he'd overheard the fight on the phone. At the first crash he had leapt up. At the slap he was grabbing his coat and keys and by Pam's scream was out the door and in the car. He was driving (alright, maybe even speeding a little), eyes wide. He was still in shock from what he'd heard. He'd always know Roy had a temper but how anyone could ever hit someone so…so innocent, so gentle as Pam was a mystery to him. He sped up.

He saw immediately that Roy's car was gone and he didn't bother knocking on the door. He pushed it open and ran straight to the kitchen.

"_Pam!" _he cried out, seeing her on the floor, unconscious. "Oh no, no, Pam stay with me!" He leapt over a fallen chair and knelt by her side. Her brow was furrowed and already he could see black-blue bruises flowering up on her arms and face. A stream of blood flowed down her cheek where a flying shard of glass had sliced her and her lower lip was cut too. Jim gathered her gently in his arms. He stared at the mess around him. Broken glass, chairs knocked over, food everywhere, a tangled tablecloth and water from the vase drop, drop, dropping in an even rhythm. An almost eerie sound. Suddenly, Pam made a small noise. Her eyelids fluttered a couple of times and she slowly opened her eyes. Jim's brown eyes stared into Pam's green eyes. He felt his heart breaking into a thousand pieces as he watched tears pool in her eyes and spill down her cheeks.

"Oh Jim…" She sniffed. She sat up a little and buried her face in Jim's chest. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling like his chest might explode at any moment. His heart hurt.

How could Roy do this to her? She felt so broken in his arms. He rested his head on hers and leant against a cabinet. They sat like that for a long time until the water stopped dripping and Pam fell asleep.

**Okay, so this was a short chapter but I've already started thinking about the next one, so chapter 3 should be up by tomorrow! Thanks for reading! xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Office. It pains me to write that.**

**Hey, I said I'd update by today, and I keep my promises! Chapter 3 is now up! Enjoy, and thankyou muchly for all the reviews guys.**

Sunlight streamed through the blinds, teasing Pam awake. Her eyelids flickered open, her auburn hair pooled around her head. She was still dressed and her face felt stiff and grimy and her eyes were sore from crying. Immediately she felt pangs of pain on her cheek and eye. She rolled over and groaned, hand pressed to her cheek. Her eyes widened as she saw the purple bruises on her arm. Flashes of the previous night came back to her. Oh…._oh. _She felt a tear roll down her cheek and she sat up straight, head throbbing. She turned and saw Jim asleep in her armchair, his long legs stretched out. Pam stared at him. He'd stayed with her. Another tear slid down her face and fell onto her comforter. His kindness was breaking her heart. She wanted nothing more then to hug him and just let him hold her. Instead, she combed her hair, dried her tears, washed her face and went downstairs.

To her surprise, Pam found the kitchen sparkling clean. A fresh vase of flowers graced the table on top of a red and white checked tablecloth. The dishes were cleared and cleaned and sat in a neat stack on a sparkling bench. Everything was immaculate.

"I hope you don't mind I cleaned up…I mean, I just didn't want you to wake up to a mess…" a shy voice came from the doorway. Pam spun around and saw Jim, his clothes rumpled from sleep. She shook her head, no she didn't mind.

"Pam." His voice cracked and he opened his arms, allowing her to fall into them. She cried for a little while then pulled back, wiping away stray tears.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Pam…no, no. Why are you sorry? How long has Roy been….hurting you?" Jim said, close to tears himself.

"Last night was the first time." She mumbled.

"Pam….I'm really sorry." She looked at him, confused.

"I just…I don't know what to do. I can't believe this." He continued.

"Me neither." She agreed.

"Do you, I don't know, want to press charges? Can you do that? You should." Pam thought for a moment.

"No. It's over. I don't want to make this messier." She said finally. Jim frowned, thinking of Pam crying the night before, crumpled helplessly on the floor. He nodded slowly.

"Alright…alright." He said. It was, after all, he figured, her choice.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked after a moment of silence. Pam traced a pattern on the table top with her pinkie finger and shrugged.

"Not much to tell. I mean, you know how Roy treated me and you know what happened last night….wait…how did you know what happened last night?" Pam asked.

"The phone…you dropped it and I heard what was going on."

"Oh. Oh…lucky for me." She breathed out and smiled. "Seriously…Jim, I don't know how to thankyou." Jim held out his hand in a stop sign.

"Stop right there." He said firmly. "Don't thank me. Anyone would have done the same."

"But it meant so much to me…your just being too kind, Jim. I'm really glad y-you're here…" Pam's lip trembled and Jim pulled her into a hug.

"Hey now. Hey, don't worry. It's over." He murmured into her hair. "Let's just do something today. A picnic? Um…I don't know. A movie?" Jim offered.

"Oh, Jim, you don't have to stay."

"Movie it is!" He announced and pulled her up from the table, laughing.

"Okay, but lets just stay here. You pick the movie."

A few minutes later they were settled on the couch with buttered microwave popcorn and 27 Dresses in the DVD player.

"This is such a chick flick!" Jim complained.

"What?" Pam laughed. "You picked it!"

"I know, I know. It's a favourite of mine. But it's a chick flick and therefore I have to complain and pretend it's your choice. It's a law, Pam. Get with it." Pam laughed again. She couldn't remember laughing like this with Roy. And somehow, because it seemed right at this moment she leant back and rested her head on Jim's chest. She felt, rather then heard him take in a sharp breath. And then he tenderly stroked her hair once and wrapped his arms around her. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. They didn't move for the entire movie.

The rest of the weekend flowed smoothly. Jim had gone home after the movie to change clothes but assured Pam he'd be right back. While he was gone, Pam rang her mother and told her everything. After a good cry and a long talk, Pam and her mother had sorted everything out. The wedding was off and Mrs Beesly promised Pam that she would take care of sending out the notices and cancelling everything. Pam hung up with a smile on her face, feeling like her entire world was peaceful. She didn't feel embarrassed or regretful. Simply….happy. Happy. She sat back, savouring the feeling. When was the last time she'd been truly happy? Mrs Beesly was equally happy. She could read Pam like a book and she had seen the signs – the way Pam acted with Roy and the way she acted and talked about Jim. Finally, her youngest, sweetest, shyest daughter was coming out of her shell and getting the man she deserved. Things were working out.

On Sunday, Jim and Pam took a walk down to the beach and sat and talked on the white sand all day. Reliving their best pranks on Dwight and the funniest, most cringe-worthy 'Michael Scott moments'. They'd sat side by side until the sun went down and the sky was streaked with peaches, pinks, gold and burnt orange and the bottle green ocean turned a deep sapphire blue. As though it was planned they both looked up into the indigo sky, strewn with stars and saw a flash of a shooting star. Jim turned to Pam and took in her beauty.

"I love you." He said softly. She turned to him, surprisingly calm.

"I love you." She said, just as tenderly. He leant over until their lips met and kissed her the way he'd always wanted to.

It took the 45 minute walk home and another 10 minutes outside the house for Pam and Jim to talk it through. About Roy, about them. They had agreed to take it slow and not tell anyone but their closest friends and family for a little while.

"It's what I need right now." Pam had said. "I don't need drama." And Jim had simply nodded and smiled and kissed her again, taking her hand. His kisses were warm and meaningful and loving. His hand felt perfect in hers, their fingers slipping into each others perfectly, like a completed jigsaw puzzle. It felt right.

And now everything was falling in place. And finally, for the first time in 10 years, Pam felt that her life was good. All was well.

**Not finished yet! I'm thinking next time, the rest of the office will find out. And I'm still planning. Anyway, please review, review, review and some cupcakes made of sunshine and rainbows will come your way! Thanks for reading! **


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Office. I bet you're surprised to hear that, aren't you? **

**Okay, so I've added 2 chapters. I really wasn't planning to do so much so you'll have to forgive me, this is really rough. This chapter is when Jim and Pam tell the rest of the office they are dating. They already know Roy and Pam are over and Jim and Pam have been dating for about 5 months now. Enjoy!**

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jim asked Pam. Pam nodded.

"We have to. It's just going to get messy if we don't tell them we're dating. Plus, I think the camera crew is onto us." Jim smiled and took her hand.

"Take a deep breath Beesly. We may not come out of here alive."

"Oh yeah? Who's going to attack us?"

"Michael. Kelly. They'll probably die of excitement." Pam considered this.

"Point taken. Maybe we should have brought armour." They both laughed and entered the office.

"May as well get this over with." Jim mumbled. He waved his hand in the air half heartedly.

"Hey, guys. Can we just get your attention for a couple of seconds?" Michael poked his head out of his office.

"You have to speak louder to get they're attention Jimbo. Like this: LISTEN UP GUYS! JIM AND PAM HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY!" The rest of the co-workers all stopped working facing Michael impatiently. He smiled at them.

"The floor is yours…" He backed away and leant against Dwight's desk. Jim and Pam exchanged a look, both arguing silently on who would share the news.

"_You."_ Pam finally muttered quietly. Jim sighed.

"Okay. So, you all know Pam and Roy broke up. And me and Pam…Pam and I…I mean. For about 5 months now me and Pam have been…."

"Were dating." Pam said quickly glaring at Jim. Jim shrugged sweetly.

"What she said." No one in the office moved. Dwight's eyes flicked between Pam and Jim suspiciously as though he was wondering if this was all a big joke. Angela frowned disapprovingly and tapped a pencil against her desk. Kelly was screaming and bouncing up and down, while Michael simply stared at them in shock. Nobody else looked very surprised.

"Yeeeeeees, Jim!" Kevin gave his small smile and walked up to hi 5 Jim.

"Way to go guys." Oscar said sounding mildly bored, turning back to his computer screen.

"I am so proud of you guys." Michael sniffed throwing his arms around Jim, hugging him tightly.

"Oh…" Jim awkwardly patted Michael on the back. "Okay….Michael…Michael. You can let go now." Jim pried Michael off him and walked over to his desk. Michael had already moved on to hugging Pam, who left her arms by her side and made a face at Jim over Michael's shoulder. Jim raised his eyebrows at her and laughed.

Later, Pam found a post it note on her computer screen: that went well!

Pam couldn't help but laugh.

**Ehh, not so happy with how that went. But please review! I honestly really appreciate hearing your reviews. Thanks for reading! xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: Guess what! I don't own The Office! I know, I'm shocked too (ha-ha)**

Pam peered out the window. Where was Jim? He'd left to buy some dinner 20 minutes ago. As she was staring out at the window and looking at the grey clouds something familiar caught Pam's eye. It was a rusty blue truck parked right in front of the house. Pam tried to place it…who did she know who had a truck like that? Then it hit her. Roy. She hadn't thought about Roy in about 3 months. A wave of emotion hit her…fear, anger, regret, sadness. Pam felt her chest tighten. Before she even knew what was happening she marched outside and banged on the truck's door. Roy swung open the door, narrowly missing Pam's head and jumped out.

"Heard you were dating Halpert." He said gruffly.

"Roy, get out of here. I…I mean it. Jim is going to be back any second and I can ring the police at-"

"So it's true. You're dating Halpert." He didn't ask it, it was a statement. "You were engaged to me just 5 months ago, Pam."

"I'm dating Jim, Roy. Get out of here, I mean it!" She warned him. And then his hand raised, an all too familiar sight for Pam. When he hit her, she barely even saw it coming; it was just a quick blur, a flash out of the corner of her eye and then the side of her face exploded in pain, burning as his hand slammed against her. The noise was a crack, exactly like a gunshot. At that very moment a clap of thunder sounded and rain poured down immediately. Pam reeled back, her head hitting against the truck door. Pam's ears were ringing from the smack, her face burning and instantly her tears mingled with the raindrops on her face.

"Oh, my God." Pam said blankly.

"Don't ever talk to me like that again Pam." Roy snapped in a low, rough voice.

"Get in the truck, Pam." He ordered harshly.

"No!" Pam said, surprised at the strength in her voice. Her head was still spinning, Roy had never hit her so hard and her cheek felt tight and hot.

"Get _in_!" He yelled.

"Roy." Pam tried to keep her voice even, she nervously glanced around. Where was Jim? "I said no. You better leave me alone or I'm calling the police!" She began walking back into the house when Roy spun her around and slapped her in the face. Before she could even register what was happened he shoved her hard. This time, Pam fell back. She felt herself tumbling backwards losing balance and falling, hitting the pavement her elbows scraping hard as she tried to catch herself. Her face still stung and she was already soaking wet from the rain, her dress muddy from the ground.

"Get up." Roy said. Pam could her someone's TV in the background and the rain, pounding in her head. He yanked her to her feet, and she stumbled, trying to duck as she saw his fist growing closer. It hit her right in her left eye sending her vision into a flurry of colour. She fell back again, bits of grass clinging to her wet skin. It was slippery and itchy against her bare skin. There were rings of angry red all over her arms where Roy had grabbed her. She rolled over, in a half hearted attempt to get away from Roy, from the pain, the fear. Everything hurt. Her eye, her cheeks, her arms, her elbows, her head. Roy kicked her angrily in her back and her stomach. Pam whimpered. Roy was going berserk now, just kicking and kicking Pam.

"_Halpert_! I'm going to kill _him_!" Roy said furiously. Pam felt sharp pains all over where he had hurt her. She could feel her old bruises too, like shadows from the past. She was tired. Worn thin. She couldn't go on like this. Her bare skin was cold now, from the rain and the wind, exposed under the pools of glowing streetlight. Where was Jim? She prayed for one of the neighbours to look out the window and see what was happening. Anyone. Even the crazy guy across the street who rode that old bicycle every morning at 2am, the one with all the birds.

"Let me tell you something Pam." Roy whispered unkindly, leaning over so that he was in Pam's face. She could smell the beer on his breath.

"You cannot just break up with me and turn to the next guy waiting in line. You gotta treat Roy Anderson with respect. You hear me? You better remember that. Don't ever treat me like this again. Don't ever talk to me like that again…" Roy looked like he wanted to say more but instead he just slapped her once more in the face, hard and ran back to his truck. Pam laying, crying, shaking in the grass, listening to the rumble of his truck start up and drive away. She felt like a thin grey thread. Maybe she'd pretended that she'd forgotten about Roy. But she hadn't. After months, she still felt the ache of her old bruises. She felt like she was underwater, trying to push to the surface, trying to breathe. She didn't understand anything anymore. Roy had left scars. Invisible ones under the skin. 10 years worth of scars. He'd treated her like dirt, she felt like nothing now. All she could feel was pain. Dread. Fear. Hurt. It wasn't over. It would never be over. Pam moaned, tears trickling down her face.

"Oh Jim. Where are you?" She whispered sadly into the grass.

**Wow, that was long! For me at least. Seriously, guys please review! I really want to know what you think! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it. I'm planning to continue this story (come on, how could I leave Pam helpless on the ground?) So…please stay tuned. xx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Dear everyone: I'm really sorry, I haven't updated for so long! I've been working on some other stories and I had schoolwork to handle, so I've been busy. Please forgive me? Anyway, I wasn't sure what to do with this story. I was really stuck on this chapter, but please let me know what you think. Again, sorry! **

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own The Office.**

Pam lay on the grass, every part of her hurting. She let out shuddering sobs, shaking and trembling.

"Please, please, come home soon Jim." She muttered. Her head was exploding, she couldn't think straight. She let her eyes flutter shut and tried to breathe in and out. She listened for cars but all she heard was a TV blaring from the house next door, a neighbourhood cat prowling in the streets and somebody yelling at their children.

"Turn that music down, its enough to wake up the dead!" Her voice alone was enough to wake up the dead, Pam thought. She squinted her eyes shut harder, feeling a churning in her stomach. She suddenly felt very, very afraid of Roy. What if he came back? Using every ounce of strength she had, she struggled to her feet and stumbled inside. Once inside, she sat on the couch for a moment, until her head stopped spinning; then hurried to lock the doors, knowing Jim had a key. Speaking of which, where was he? Pam still felt scared. The house felt so big and so dark. She turned on every light and went upstairs. She didn't bother changing; she just tugged off her shoes with shaking hands and hid under the covers, trembling. She felt very old and very tired. The rain outside began to pour down harder, and suddenly the window lit up every now and again with bols of lightning.

"No, no, not tonight." Pam usually liked thunderstorms, they were movie nights, popcorn nights, they were cosy and dramatic but she was usually safe and protected in her house. But tonight, they made her head pound and her heart pound even harder. Finally, Pam couldn't take it anymore. Shivering, she grabbed the thick blanket and a fluffy pillow and hid under the bed, like she used to when she was younger in storms. Under the bed, in safety, she wrapped the blanket around her and rested her head on the pillow. She snaked one hand out and searched in the bottom drawer of the beside table for a torch. She propped it up and in the dim light, she finally fell asleep.

It must have been around 1 hour later when Pam woke up. She almost screamed, at seeing the sight of a dark figure, crouched by the bed.

"_Jim_!" Pam cried.

"Pam?" He was soaked to the skin, his hair dripping down his face, his white shirt now transparent. His concerned, warm brown eyes peeked under the bed and he laughed.

"What are you doing?"

"Jim." She said his name again, it sounded so warm and reassuring. She closed her eyes. She was safe.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I'm so late, there was a huge line at the store, and then a traffic jam and when I got home, the doors were locked and I didn't have my keys. I had to climb through a window...Pam?" He stopped, concerned. "Pam, what's wrong?" He asked, hearing her sobs. She couldn't help it, the tears came freely now, slipping down her cheeks. Jim stopped asking questions. He took off his shoes and slid under the bed next to Pam, folding his legs to fit.

"Are you…" he saw the fresh bruises in the glow of the torch. His face froze and he stared at Pam. The only sound was a clock ticking. After a moment, he simply wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his shoulder. He was drenched and cold but Pam had never felt warmer.

They slept there for the night. Pam woke up 4 times and each time, Jim was awake, just staring into space. Neither of them said a word. The next morning, Jim went down the stairs to see Pam, sitting at the table, her back to him. She was wearing a silk blue bathrobe and her hair was wet, a comb beside her on the table. Jim walked over and picked it up without thinking. She didn't turn around and he began to comb her hair, as gently as he could, carefully running it through snags and small tangles. Her hair was straight when it was wet but it dried into perfect waves.

"You have to press charges." Jim said quietly when he'd finished, gently setting down the comb. Pam's voice was thin and quiet.

"I don't know. I don't want to make this messier then it already is."

"You said that last time, Pam. It got messier anyway. Much messier."

"I know."

"_Please,_ Pam. I don't want him to hurt you again." He reached out one index finger, gently touching a bruise on her arm. Tears filled his eyes but he blinked them away and sat down.

"I don't want to press charges…but I don't want to see Roy…ever again…I don't want _any_ of this."

"You could press charges for Assault and Battery. Roy couldn't hurt you then."

"He'd be so mad though! He'd come again, Jim, I know he would."

"He _won't_, Pam." Jim said it so softly and firmly. "I won't let him." He wrapped his arms around her and after a moment she hugged him back.

"I think…I think I'm going to press charges." Pam whispered. She wanted this to be over. She wanted Roy away from her. She wanted nothing to do with him ever again. Pam took a deep breath.

"Yes. I want to press charges. Now." She felt rather then heard, Jim breathe in sharply.

"Okay." He said slowly, sounding relieved. "Let's go to the police. I'll drive."

I know this was short, sorry, but I am going to update really soon, I promise! More chapters soon, please review and let me know what you think. Sorry for the wait, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading! xx


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I own nada. Sorrow. Please forgive me for not updating faster, I had a lot of stories to work on and my account on Fanfiction was playing up when I tried to post stories. Anyway. Finally got it up – enjoy! And again, sorry!**

"I think you should see a therapist." Jim began seriously. Pam groaned. It was cold outside with a frosty snap in the air. Watery sunlight streamed through the window and pooled onto the kitchen table where Jim and Pam sat.

"I pressed charges. It's been months. Its over, forget it. Roy hasn't bothered us." She said defensively.

"But I'm worried about you. You have to talk, get these feelings out. You won't talk to me or your mum. I really want you to get some help Pam. Please." He pleaded desperately. Things had been better since they'd pressed charges. Roy was let off with a warning and since then he hadn't bother them. In fact, they hadn't even heard of him since then. But Pam remained withdrawn. She smiled a little more but she started to walk slowly. She went to bed early and woke up late. Sometimes she woke up screaming, otherwise she slept restlessly. And Jim, being Jim, noticed.

"It's bothered you so much, Pam. I can tell. Your so scared, just too live everyday life. You've forgotten what its like to be safe."

"That's not true." She said protectively. He took her hand from across the table, his eyes full of care and concern. He shook his head slightly.

"Just try." He offered. "Please. Just try."

And that was how she ended up outside Leah Carman's office that one Monday afternoon.

"Pam." A woman was opening the door to the office, holding a clipboard. "Welcome. I'm Leah. Why don't you come in?" Pam studied the young woman before her. She had chestnut hair bluntly cut off just above her shoulders. Her cheekbones were high and her eyes were large and a warm brown. With these features and dressed in a knee length pencil, navy blue skirt paired with a neat, stylish white blouse and black heels she looked very put together. Well, you'd hope so, for a therapist.

"Okay." Pam said after a moment of hesitation. Beside her, Jim squeezed her hand once before releasing her. She followed Leah into the office, heart pounding. She'd never been to a therapist before her and she'd never really thought about it. It was pretty much what she expected. There was a red couch that you were supposed to lie down on, as well as a couple of cushy armchairs.

"Take a seat." Pam moved towards an armchair, and then paused.

"Is this a test?" She asked suspiciously.

"Hmm?" Leah looked up, confused.

"Is this a test?" Pam gestured impatiently towards the chairs. "Are you testing me to see which chair I sit in or something?"

"No. You just have to sit." Cautiously, Pam sunk into the chair on the right.

"Hmm. The right one…well that's new…" She heard Leah murmur.

"What?" She snapped her head up.

"I was kidding. It was just a joke." Leah winked at her and sat opposite in the left armchair. Pam tried to laugh but it sounded more like choking.

"Alright, Pam. Well, why don't you start off by telling me about what's been going on for the last few months and how you're feeling about it?" She felt trapped and suffocated. She twisted her hands uncomfortably.

"Isn't that a little personal?" She asked.

"Well, it's sort of the point of therapy." Leah smiled warmly.

"If you don't feel comfortable with that, perhaps you could just tell me a little about yourself."

"Okay. Well. I'm uh, Pam...ela. Pamela Beesly. I uh, I'm 23 years old. 24 next month. Umm, I like writing. And reading and music. And drawing of course. I love art." Leah looked up from her notes.

"You enjoy art?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Pam spread her hands towards the ceiling.

"I don't know. For as long as I can remember I've been drawing. Water colour, charcoal, paints, pencils; whatever I can get my hands on. It relaxes me."

"It relaxes you."

"Yes. I know my work isn't very good, but I like it. I forgot about…about other stuff when I'm handling art."

"Why is that, do you think?" Leah sat up a little straighter and poised her pen over paper.

"I'm not sure. It's just like, when I start to draw of paint or whatever I can sort of just fade into the shadings and colours I want to create. I don't have to live in the really world where bead stuff happens because art isn't real. Art can be anything. I can get lost in the ups and downs, the shadows and light, the colours…" She trailed off.

"I like that. I like that you enjoy art." Leah said. _Well, yay._ Pam thought irritably.

"So what you're saying is that you express yourself through art."

"I guess you could say that. Sure."

"Have you thought about using art to express what you're feeling now?" Pam frowned.

"I haven't been working on artwork lately." She admitted.

"Why not?"

"Behind it reminds me of stuff. Bad stuff."

"Such as…" Leah prompted. Pam restrained form rolling her eyes.

"Like bad memories. Pain. Suffering. Roy." The R word slipped out before she could stop it.

"Roy." Leah paused on the word. Pam released the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"Roy." She repeated.

"Tell me about Roy."

"No." The word came out to quickly, too harshly.

"I mean, I don't think I can." She backtracked. Even now, she didn't want to be rude.

"Why not?" Leah pressed gently. Pam let out a shaky breath and willed herself not to cry.

"Because…because I don't want to. If I start it all builds up. There's too much to say and I can't let it out all at once."

"Pam, our time for today's session has run out. But today has been a good start. What I'd likely you to do, in your spare time, are just think about what you'd like to say about Roy. Maybe we could talk about it next time."

"Okay." Pam said. She was willing to try.

"Its been wonderful meeting you Pam. I'll see you Thursday." She led Pam out of the office to Jim who was waiting anxiously.

"Remember what I said Pam." Leah said. "Strong people can beat the worst of things." And that was her goodbye.

**I know you probably hate me because I haven't updated in forever, but maybe you can put that little minor detail behind us? Thanks. :) I've already started the next chapters, I just have to edit them a bit but they will be up SOON! Thanks for reading, reviews always welcome. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Yay! Quick update! Hopefully this makes up for the loooong wait before. =) **

Pam sunk into the warm water, beneath the layer of rose scented bubbles. It was Wednesday night and she hadn't thought about Roy all week. She figured she should start considering the fact that her next therapy session was tomorrow.

"Think Pam, think." She murmured, dipping one foot out of the bath water and twirling it in the air. How would she start to think about him? She wondered what she'd be doing if she was still with Roy. Definitely not relaxing in the bath tub. Jim was downstairs doing the dishes and whistling brightly. She could hear him from the bathroom and smiled faintly. Roy would probably be on the couch, watching some sporting event while she cleaned up the kitchen. He wouldn't have kissed her like Jim had and offered to clean up the way Jim had. He wouldn't have helped around the house, the way Jim did or massage her shoulders when she was having a bad day, the way Jim did. In fact, in every way, Roy was the opposite of Jim. How weird. To be with 2 completely different guys in your life. Pam sunk beneath the water until her entire body was surrounded by water, She closed her eyes and let the warmth seep in to her aching body. She could still feel the faint aches where bruises still scarred her body. They weren't just physical bruises either. Under the cover of water, Pam raised her fingertip and pressed into the spot on her arm, just above the elbow. She had touched it so often she knew exactly were it was, even with her eyes closed. She pressed slightly on the bruise, wondering what would happen if she just stayed here forever under water. And then she came up for air.

Jim came with her to therapy again.

"You don't have to. I'm not 5." She protested.

"I know." He had said calmly. "I just like the magazines they have there." Now she was sitting in the right armchair once more, facing Leah. She was wearing a brown pencil skirt today with a pale blue blouse.

"So, how have the last few days been?" Leah asked, crossing her legs.

"Fine. I suppose." Pam offered meekly. "I thought about Roy a bit."

"Have you? Tell me about him." Leah replied. Pam closed her eyes and carefully went over each bruise in her mind.

"Hmm." She wondered where to begin.

"I met Roy in high school." She said. "We dated for 7 years and we were engaged for 3."

"And you broke up because he was abusive." Leah prodded gently.

"Yes. And other things." She opened her eyes. Leah was watching her with the kindest expression on her pretty face. It made Pam want to cry. She went on.

"I don't know. When I was in high school was young and shy and weak. I was dazzled by his popularity. It felt good to get some attention. After a few years, I grew up a bit more and I guess I slipped out of that day dream. That daydream was he'd carry me off on white horse or something. But by that time it was just a routine, a way of life. Nothing better was coming my way and I was too deep in to get out. The more time I spent with him the more I sunk away, I barely felt like myself. And then I met Jim."

"Jim."

"Yes. We met at work actually. There's quite a history. Anyway. Um, I suppose at this point I was just giving up. It's kind of like being in a deep hole. I couldn't quite find my way out and I honestly couldn't be bothered climbing out. Jim was like a root, lifting me out. He was the sunlight streaming though. He was – still is – my best friend."

"That's nice." Leah commented, scrawling something on her notepad.

"Yes. He's great. He wouldn't let me sink any further. It got to this point where I wasn't happy unless I was with him. I think Roy realized that. It's probably why he hates Jim so much. But he treated me so badly. He was just…disrespectful. He forgot about me. It was awful. We were so lost. We weren't the same people we used to be. We were sharing a high school relationship as adults and it was just…terrible. I hated it."

"When did he begin to abuse you?"

"Not for a long time. He'd always had a quick temper but he never, ever hurt me. But one day, I was on the phone to Jim and he came into the kitchen for dinner. And he just…blew up. I don't understand. He just lost it. He smacked the phone out of m-my hands and…uh...just…hurt me." Pam felt her hands go clammy and her heart twist. She hadn't thought of that night for so long.

"Jim heard it all. On the phone, you see. "

"How lucky!" Leah's eyes widened. Pam thought it was funny to see something as composed as Leah surprised.

"Well, Roy left and Jim came and he really helped me through it. And then…Roy came…b-back. One day. He…uh…h-he found out I was dating Jim. He-he hit me. He just…beat me up." Unconsciously, Pam raised her fingertip to a bruise on her wrist that was almost faded. She closed her eyes, remembering.

"Looking back…I just remember the grass. The light. There was one streetlight, pooling onto the footpath. The grass was wet and slimy, clinging to me. Jim was late. He was picking up dinner. Roy ran away and I was scared. So, so scared. It was raining and cold and wet and dark." She shut her eyes tighter.

"I'm so sorry." Leah murmured comfortingly, handing her a tissue.

"Thanks. I haven't told anyone about that for so long. I forgot…"

"How do you feel now? About things?"

"I'm not sure. It just feels so…unreal. You know? I'm just expecting him to come back and hurt me again. Knock me down as soon as I stand. I'm scared to cry. I thin if I start I might not stop. And I'm scared Jim will leave me."

"From what I've seen and heard about Jim, I don't really think that's an issue." Leah said with a smile in her voice.

"Yeah." Pam agreed in a low voice. She couldn't help smiling through her tears.

"That's one thing I never have to really worry about."

It was 2am. They were both awake and they both knew it. The moonlight streamed through the window, pooling onto the bed, making it glow golden. Jim rolled over onto his side to face Pam. Her hair was fanned out around her and her skin was even paler in the shadows.

"Hey." He whispered into her hair.

"Hey." She whispered into the darkness. He reached down and wrapped his hand around hers. His was warm and big and hers was small and cold.

"Hows it going?" He asked softly. She smiled a little.

"Meh." She replied. He laughed quietly and moved closer, letting her lean into him. They listened to the hushing whisper of willow trees outside and the ticking of the clock in the hallway. He breathed in the scent of her shampoo and perfume. She snuggled deeper into the safe warmth of the covers.

"I will love you until the end of forever." She smiled sleepily.

"And you'll never leave me, right?" She asked quietly. He held her even tighter and because the both knew the answer to that, they let the words hang in the air until they faded into the dark of the night.


	9. Chapter 9

**So sorry for the wait! But this is the last chapter and I wanted to do it right. I hope you enjoy it! **

Things were better. Pam started sleeping well without waking up in the middle of the night. Still, Jim would lie awake until he heard her breathing turn regular. Then he would relax and let himself sleep. After a few months Pam cut back on her therapy sessions and started a garden. Leah said something about it being soothing and something about new growth. Mainly Pam just liked the colors. She planted bright, happy flowers like tulips, daisies, daffodils, sunflowers, bluebells and sweet peas. The happiest flowers she knew. She planted snap peas, tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce just for a balance. She'd never gardened before but she loved it, much to her surprise. Whenever she had stressful thoughts, once she started digging and pruning it was as if all the negative energy left her body. And she liked caring for the plants. It was something to do. She liked seeing the small green tufts sprout from the earth, a breath of fresh air.

Jim woke up before Pam on Saturday and cooked waffles and bacon. He wanted to surprise Pam with breakfast in bed but within minutes she had woken up and dressed and followed her nose downstairs.

"Aw, I wanted to surprise you." He frowned, kissing her good morning.

"I was surprised! Thank you, you didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to. Sit down and I'll finish." He flipped a couple of waffles onto her plate along with some crispy bacon strips.

"Thanks." She buttered the waffles and filled each square with syrup. Perfect.

"You know, I never really saw the difference between pancakes and waffles. Aren't they the same thing?" Jim asked from the stove.

"No. Waffles are way better." She answered, taking a bite of her own waffles.

"I always liked pancakes. They are a _cake_ in a _pan_. You can't get better then that." Pam laughed.

"Uh, I don't think that's how it works. Besides, waffles are pancakes with syrup traps. Beat that."

"I can't."

"I rest my case."

"Congratulations." He sat down across from her with his own plate of food. "Hey, what do you want to do today?" She shrugged.

"Hm, I don't know. Whatever you want to do."

"I was thinking a picnic on the beach."

"Really?" She smiled.

"Yeah, I thought it could be nice."

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Do you want to leave after breakfast?"

"Sure, I guess so." She usually didn't make such impulsive decisions but she was getting better at it. They finished breakfast and cleared the dishes.

"I'll make the picnic basket," She offered. "You can get ready." He kissed her cheek soundly and went upstairs to shower and change. Humming to herself, Pam began to move around the kitchen finding snacks to pack. She was happy. Things were finally getting better. For lunch, she packed chicken sandwiches, potato chips, berry yoghurt, a salad and some drinks. As a last minute thought, she threw in some cutlery and napkins. Still humming she walked outside and put the basket in the car trunk. Her smile and song faded as her gaze fell upon a blue van parked across the street. An all too familiar blue van. And an equally familiar shaky, sick feeling washed over her.

Jim dressed in his old faded blue jeans and a tee shirt. He threw loose gray jumper over that and jammed his feet in his sneakers. He ran his hands through his hair, still wet from the shower, as he walked across the room and peered out the window. His smile faded quickly when he saw what was happening. Roy had his hand wrapped tightly around Pam's arm. Pam seemed to be frozen. Anger vibrated through Jim's entire body as he watched.

"Holy crap," Jim muttered under his breath and in 4 wide strides he was out of the room and down the stairs. He threw open the front door and marched over to Pam's side.

"What the hell do you want?" He spat at Roy. Roy furrowed his brow like he wasn't quite sure what Jim was doing there. He stepped back from Pam carefully. Pam moved closer to Jim, her eyes wide with fear and shock.

"I'm here for Pam." Roy said slowly.

"She wasn't _waiting_ for you." Jim said. Roy looked from Jim to Pam and back to Jim.

"You guys...are still together?" He asked. He laughed shortly. Jim stared him in the eyes. After a moment Roy seemed to realize Jim wasn't going to back down.

"Oh, right. Halpert, I own her." He said, teeth gritted. Jim felt his face heating up and he clenched his fists.

"You do not own her, you -" He cut himself off, remembering Pam. Quick as a flash Roy's hand flew out to punch Jim. And just as fast Jim caught his hand easily and threw a punch straight in Roy's face. The crack was deafening. Roy staggered and fell, blood gushing from his face and mouth.

"Sonnofa-" Jim clutched his own hand which felt like it had been broken a thousand times. Pam gave a squeak of fear and clutched Jim's arm, pulling him back from Roy. Jim gently detached himself from her and strode over to Roy. He hovered over him, voice harsh and unforgiving.

"Don't. Ever. Touch. Her. Again." He said slowly and clearly. Roy shrunk under Jim's gaze.

"I don't ever want to see your sorry face again, you son of a bitch." He walked back to Pam and led her gently back to the house without looking back. Roy slowly got to his feet, got in his truck and drove away. That was the last time they ever saw Roy Anderson.

He led her over the couch and made her a cup of tea. She was quietly crying when he came back.

"I thought he was gone. For good." She sniffled.

"He won't come back. I won't let him." He said fiercely. He wrapped both arms around her and she rested her head on his chest, saying nothing. She felt safe in his arms but she couldn't stop shaking. Seeing Roy brought back a flood of memories she had pushed away.

"Remember when we met?" Jim said softly. She nodded against his chest. "I knew you were the one as soon as you said 'Enjoy this moment, because you're never going to go back to this time before you met your desk mate, Dwight.' And I followed your gaze and I just...knew. That somehow you would be a special part of my life." She smiled slightly, remembering.

"And then, I don't really know Pam. It was like everything was just better after that. I started seeing things differently and thinking differently. You just made everything brighter and better and...perfect. I was falling in love with you and I didn't even know it. My day only ever started when I saw you and it ended when I left the office. I planned every time I would see you, weekends were useless if I couldn't see you. I kept telling myself you had a fiance but finally I just had to face the fact that I was completely in love with you and that was never going to change."

Tears she didn't know she had in her leaked out and soaked into his jumper. She felt his warm breath on her hair, soothing her. "I really thought you were happy. I thought you were happy with Roy for awhile. And I hated the fact that I hadn't met you earlier, hated that I wouldn't get a chance with you. But you were happy and I couldn't – I couldn't stop that. I didn't want to ruin your relationship with...him."

He really, really did not want to say Roy's name ever again.

"And then you were sad, somehow. When...he...came into the office you would sort of deflate. You weren't really the person I saw every time, bright and funny and, God, Pam, just so perfectly _you_. And he didn't see that and I hated that. And I started wondering if I had a chance. I told you on casino night. It felt so good to tell you that I love you." She noted he said love and not loved. More tears fell and she didn't try to stop them.

"And that kiss. Was...everything and more. It was like my whole life, whatever I had been waiting for was there. I made a huge mistake when I ran away Pam. That was the stupidest thing I've ever done and I knew it every time I woke up and walked into an office where you didn't work. Sometimes I looked up and you weren't there and I kind of got a shock. I realized the only reason I got up every morning was to see you. I left you with him and I'll never forgive myself for that. I left you unhappy and confused." He swallowed hard and blinked quickly. He pulled her closer and was quiet for a moment. Their breathing was in perfect time.

"I know you needed me a lot of the time and I wasn't there. I'm so sorry, Pam. I shouldn't have left. I'm so, so sorry. But I'm never going to leave you again. Never. No matter what happens, I love you and I'm here for you. All the time, anytime." He stopped and shifted slightly, so that he could cup her face in his hands and look at her. Their eyes locked and they held each others gaze, their eyes wet. She saw the love and compassion in his eyes. Her eyes returned the same feelings.

"I never stopped. I never stopped loving you. And I never will." He smiled lightly at her.

"I'm not him. I'm not...Roy. I'm in this relationship 100%. I'm not looking for anything other then you, you are the most important person in my life. I will never hurt you. I will never lay a finger on you. I only want to love you and protect you." She smiled softly. She wanted to tell him she felt exactly the same way but she couldn't form the words.

"I love you." She finally said, softly and clearly. He kissed her softly but firmly, never wanting the moment to end.

**Okay. Well. Wow. I think that's the end of Black and Blue. I was planning on writing on more chapter but I think I kind of put it all into this chapter. For me, I feel like this story is finished but if you feel I should write one more chapter, let me know and I'll do my best. Anyway, thank you all for reading this story and reviewing. =] It means a lot to me. **

**P.S I don't know about you guys when you were reading this but when I wrote 'That was the last time they ever saw Roy Anderson' I had the biggest smile on my face. I'm so lame. =]**


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